Avondale, Arizona (March 11, 2023) Debra and I have been NASCAR fans for a long time, and we’ve attended many exciting stock car races over the years that put us on the edge of our seats. But from the moment we planned our trip to Phoenix Raceway, we had no doubt that the Xfinity Series race that day would be THE MOST MEMORABLE RACE of our lives.
Why?
Because Debra and I, our daughter Jill and her fiancé Ryan, and our dear friend Oron watched David – our son/Jill’s brother – in action at the United Rentals 200, the fourth race on the Xfinity Series schedule.
No, David didn’t drive a racecar that day...although he would have loved to.
Rather, as Vice President of Alpha Prime Racing, a three-car race team co-owned by Tommy Joe Martins and Caesar Bacarella, he worked as pit support for the No. 45 – one of the three cars they fielded in that race.
When I asked David about this, he said, “This role – pit support – is one of the things that makes a small team like Alpha Prime unique within the NASCAR world.”
That day, David was the ‘tire catcher’ – the person outside the pit wall assigned to retrieve the used tires rolled to him by the tire carrier when the driver pitted to change tires.
“You won’t see an exec for a big team catching tires!” David added with a smile.
Why?
Because Debra and I, our daughter Jill and her fiancé Ryan, and our dear friend Oron watched David – our son/Jill’s brother – in action at the United Rentals 200, the fourth race on the Xfinity Series schedule.
No, David didn’t drive a racecar that day...although he would have loved to.
Rather, as Vice President of Alpha Prime Racing, a three-car race team co-owned by Tommy Joe Martins and Caesar Bacarella, he worked as pit support for the No. 45 – one of the three cars they fielded in that race.
When I asked David about this, he said, “This role – pit support – is one of the things that makes a small team like Alpha Prime unique within the NASCAR world.”
That day, David was the ‘tire catcher’ – the person outside the pit wall assigned to retrieve the used tires rolled to him by the tire carrier when the driver pitted to change tires.
“You won’t see an exec for a big team catching tires!” David added with a smile.
While the pit crew was in action during a late-stage pit stop,
David leaned over the pit wall to catch the right-side front tire.
David leaned over the pit wall to catch the right-side front tire.
And we watched it all, including the race, from the ‘pit stall’ – the designated area on pit lane where the driver stopped while his fast-moving pit crew refueled the car, changed tires, and made track bar, wedge, and other adjustments to improve the car’s handling – often in under 15 seconds!
We sat (and frequently stood) literally steps from pit lane, and just a tad further than world-class spitting distance of the racetrack. In other words, we were as close to the action on and off the track as a racecar fan could be! |
What? Oh. How did we score this up-close view? I’m glad you asked.
“Our son is Vice President of Alpha Prime Racing,” I said to Debra a month or so back. “I wonder…”
“Wonder what?” she asked as I picked up my phone to call David.
“Our son is Vice President of Alpha Prime Racing,” I said to Debra a month or so back. “I wonder…”
“Wonder what?” she asked as I picked up my phone to call David.
Cowabunga, I thought. That’s my boy!
Oron, me, Debra, Tommy Joe, David, Ryan, and Jill (left to right)
David's Backstory
David watched his first NASCAR race in 1994, when he was eleven. He definitely ‘caught the NASCAR fever’ that day – and so did Debra, much to my surprise. The two of them sat front and center before the TV every race that season (and for many seasons to come).
Later that year, Debra and I gave David a model kit for his birthday. It was a racecar – the No. 28 Texaco Havoline driven by Ernie Irvan, who was David’s favorite driver. David and I worked on that model for hours – gluing, painting, and decaling, until it looked pretty near the same as it did on the box...and on the racetrack.
The next year, as I recall, we bought a winter jacket for David. Not just any winter jacket, mind you. No, this one was emblazoned with a picture of racecar driver Terry Labonte – for David, Labonte came second to Irvan – and his No. 5 Kellogg’s-sponsored car.
Without a doubt, David was hooked on NASCAR, and there was no turning back.
He’ll be a NASCAR fan for life, I thought.
(Ha! How little did I know what laid ahead for David.)
Later that year, Debra and I gave David a model kit for his birthday. It was a racecar – the No. 28 Texaco Havoline driven by Ernie Irvan, who was David’s favorite driver. David and I worked on that model for hours – gluing, painting, and decaling, until it looked pretty near the same as it did on the box...and on the racetrack.
The next year, as I recall, we bought a winter jacket for David. Not just any winter jacket, mind you. No, this one was emblazoned with a picture of racecar driver Terry Labonte – for David, Labonte came second to Irvan – and his No. 5 Kellogg’s-sponsored car.
Without a doubt, David was hooked on NASCAR, and there was no turning back.
He’ll be a NASCAR fan for life, I thought.
(Ha! How little did I know what laid ahead for David.)
We watched that race from the grandstands, the tickets a birthday present for David from Debra and me. Irvan was injured in a race the week before and did not drive. Instead, Kenny Irwin got the ride, and David cheered him on as a surrogate for Irvan.
Fast forward to 2011. David had moved to Atlanta to pursue his dream of working for a NASCAR team. And with a bit of networking, he landed a part-time job with RSS Racing, which competed in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series.
He did a little of this and a little of that at the shop and on the road, and on race days he also worked as a ‘spotter’ – the person who monitored the race from high above the track and relayed important track information to the driver he spotted for.
He did a little of this and a little of that at the shop and on the road, and on race days he also worked as a ‘spotter’ – the person who monitored the race from high above the track and relayed important track information to the driver he spotted for.
In October 2011, Debra, Jill, and I spent race day at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway with David, where he spotted for RSS truck driver BJ McCleod. We had VIP credentials there, too, and with our creds we were able to be with and watch David in action during the pre-race practice session. It was an awesome experience!
David moved to Charlotte – the heart of the NASCAR world – in September 2021. He worked full-time as an accountant for an advertising company (and still does), but he quickly secured a part-time opportunity with Alpha Prime Racing...which he hoped (finger’s crossed!) would lead to a full-time role. |
One day last fall, my phone rang. With caller ID, I could see it was David. I answered and said, “What’s up?”
“Get mom and put your phone on speaker,” David said with excitement in his voice. “I have BIG news!”
“She’s sitting next to me,” I replied as I pressed the speaker icon. “Go ahead.”
“I’m living my dream,” David began. “Tommy Joe promoted me to Vice President of Alpha Prime Racing!”
There was a moment of stunned silence, then a few joyous giggles, and finally lots of questions and conversation.
David’s role – his responsibilities – with Alpha Prime Racing was a work in progress, one that will likely lead to a full-time position and a new career path for him.
Yep – this WAS David’s dream come true!
“Get mom and put your phone on speaker,” David said with excitement in his voice. “I have BIG news!”
“She’s sitting next to me,” I replied as I pressed the speaker icon. “Go ahead.”
“I’m living my dream,” David began. “Tommy Joe promoted me to Vice President of Alpha Prime Racing!”
There was a moment of stunned silence, then a few joyous giggles, and finally lots of questions and conversation.
David’s role – his responsibilities – with Alpha Prime Racing was a work in progress, one that will likely lead to a full-time position and a new career path for him.
Yep – this WAS David’s dream come true!
The No. 45
Sammy Smith led a race-high 92 laps on his path to his first-career NASCAR Xfinity Series race. The 18-year-old looked unstoppable down the stretch, and he pulled away to defeat his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ryan Truex for the win.
~ tobychristie.com
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Eighteen-year-old Sammy Smith, who drove – get this – the No. 18 car (Did any other driver that day have a car numbered to match his age? I don’t think so!), became the fourth youngest driver to win a Xfinity Series race when he took the checkered flag in Phoenix late that afternoon.
But it wasn’t Smith that our small cadre of fans rooted for.
But it wasn’t Smith that our small cadre of fans rooted for.
Instead, we cheered for another young gun – 18-year-old Leland Honeyman, who drove the No. 45 Klean Freak-sponsored Chevrolet Camaro.
(The other two cars fielded by Alpha Prime Racing were the No. 43, driven by Ryan Ellis, and the No. 44, driven by Jeffrey Earnhardt – grandson of legendary NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt.) I talked with Leland's dad before the race. "Leland has raced since he was four," he told me. "At first, he drove off-road karts, He was very good. In fact, he won 27 trophies his first year." |
Honeyman climbed the ranks from karts to cars. Last year he ran a full season in the ARCA Menards Series, where he drove the No. 02 car for Young’s Motorsports.
“I’m ready to push myself to the limit and compete against the best competition this series has to offer,” Leland said in a recent interview with Toby Christie. “It’s an honor to represent Alpha Prime Racing and I’m grateful for the opportunity to prove myself on the track. My main goal is to bring a clean racecar back after the checkered flag waves.”
Leland made the most of his inaugural race. He started 23rd and finished 27th. His racecar wasn’t clean at the end of the race – the backend hit the outside wall when he drove too hard into a turn early in the race, and he restarted at the back of the field – but he ran all 200 laps and was on the lead lap when the checkered flag waved.
“I’m ready to push myself to the limit and compete against the best competition this series has to offer,” Leland said in a recent interview with Toby Christie. “It’s an honor to represent Alpha Prime Racing and I’m grateful for the opportunity to prove myself on the track. My main goal is to bring a clean racecar back after the checkered flag waves.”
Leland made the most of his inaugural race. He started 23rd and finished 27th. His racecar wasn’t clean at the end of the race – the backend hit the outside wall when he drove too hard into a turn early in the race, and he restarted at the back of the field – but he ran all 200 laps and was on the lead lap when the checkered flag waved.
Even though Leland lost three positions from start to finish, David had this to say: “While he hit the wall early and knocked off the rear bumper cover, Leland stayed in it, recovered, and passed many cars to get the finish he did. He improved over the course of the race, and that’s a positive sign.”
Well, now you know how the race ended. But there was more to our race day experience – much more! – than the race itself.
Well, now you know how the race ended. But there was more to our race day experience – much more! – than the race itself.
The Pre-Race
The VIP creds gave us full access to the most secure areas of Phoenix Raceway – pit lane, the pit stall for the No.45, and the infield.
David led our group from pit lane to the security gate for the infield. There, a guard eyeballed the VIP passes that hung from lanyards around our necks and, with a nod, we were ushered in.
No more than fifteen paces from the security gate, I spotted a hauler – the tractor-trailer (think ‘semitruck’) that carried one or two racecars and parts, tools, and other equipment to and from the track. This brightly-painted transporter was a behemoth – 70 to 80 feet long, maybe 70,000 to 80,000 pounds. Where there was one, there were many, and soon I saw a line of haulers – two dozen or more – that formed an arc around the garage.
We followed David to the haulers for Alpha Prime Racing – there were two for the three cars –, where he introduced us to Tommy Joe Martins and other members of the race team.
Tommy Joe, who was a racecar driver before he was a team owner, was gracious with his time as he patiently answered the myriad of questions we asked about racing in general and the trials and tribulations of being a team owner.
When and how did you get started in racing? How do you put your driving skills to use as a race team owner? As a team owner, how do you attract the right talent? What’s your biggest challenge on race day? Are you having fun? Etc., etc.
There wasn’t a question he didn’t answer, and he offered answers to several questions we didn’t think to ask.
David led our group from pit lane to the security gate for the infield. There, a guard eyeballed the VIP passes that hung from lanyards around our necks and, with a nod, we were ushered in.
No more than fifteen paces from the security gate, I spotted a hauler – the tractor-trailer (think ‘semitruck’) that carried one or two racecars and parts, tools, and other equipment to and from the track. This brightly-painted transporter was a behemoth – 70 to 80 feet long, maybe 70,000 to 80,000 pounds. Where there was one, there were many, and soon I saw a line of haulers – two dozen or more – that formed an arc around the garage.
We followed David to the haulers for Alpha Prime Racing – there were two for the three cars –, where he introduced us to Tommy Joe Martins and other members of the race team.
Tommy Joe, who was a racecar driver before he was a team owner, was gracious with his time as he patiently answered the myriad of questions we asked about racing in general and the trials and tribulations of being a team owner.
When and how did you get started in racing? How do you put your driving skills to use as a race team owner? As a team owner, how do you attract the right talent? What’s your biggest challenge on race day? Are you having fun? Etc., etc.
There wasn’t a question he didn’t answer, and he offered answers to several questions we didn’t think to ask.
I showed him how to use the camera on my phone, and then handed it to him as I positioned my ‘crew’ around Tommy Joe. The young man snapped a few pictures, then handed my phone to me.
“Thank you,” I said.
As I scrolled through the pics, David sidled up to me and, with a grin on his face, he said, “Do you know who that was?”
“I assumed he was a member of the crew – maybe a mechanic. Right?”
With a look that told me I was wrong – far wrong! –, David said, “That was Ryan Ellis. He drives the No. 43 for Alpha Prime. Last year, in his second race with us, he scored a career-best 13th place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.”
I sought out Ryan, shook his hand, thanked him (again) for taking our picture, and wished him a clean race and a strong finish.
For the record, Ryan finished 19th, and like Leland, he completed all 200 laps.
“Thank you,” I said.
As I scrolled through the pics, David sidled up to me and, with a grin on his face, he said, “Do you know who that was?”
“I assumed he was a member of the crew – maybe a mechanic. Right?”
With a look that told me I was wrong – far wrong! –, David said, “That was Ryan Ellis. He drives the No. 43 for Alpha Prime. Last year, in his second race with us, he scored a career-best 13th place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.”
I sought out Ryan, shook his hand, thanked him (again) for taking our picture, and wished him a clean race and a strong finish.
For the record, Ryan finished 19th, and like Leland, he completed all 200 laps.
Oron, Debra, Jill, and Ryan in front of the No. 45.
The infield was a beehive of activity, and most of the action centered around the garage. David, who stood just a few feet away, saw the direction of my gaze and said, “Let’s go.”
I motioned to Debra, Jill, Ryan, and Oron, and off we went.
The garage was packed with racecars – 38 to be exact, one to a stall. Crew members hovered over and around their car as they made final adjustments for that day’s race.
I motioned to Debra, Jill, Ryan, and Oron, and off we went.
The garage was packed with racecars – 38 to be exact, one to a stall. Crew members hovered over and around their car as they made final adjustments for that day’s race.
Right off the bat, David introduced Debra to Pat Tryson, one-time crew chief for Ricky Rudd – Debra’s all-time favorite racecar driver. Not as good as meeting Rudd, mind you…but almost! Debra and Pat talked ‘Rudd’ for 10-minutes, and then we moved on.
We stopped for a look-see at the three Alpha Prime Racing cars. It seemed to me that most of the pre-race adjustments were completed, as the only activity I saw was the ‘gasman’ topping off the No. 43.
“It looks like most of the work on your cars is done,” I said to David. “It’s just a lull,” David replied. “The crews work on the cars right up to the time they are rolled out for the race.” |
“Follow me,” he added. “I have someone I’d like all of you to meet.”
That ‘someone’ was David’s best friend, 23-year-old racecar driver Anthony Alfredo, who drove the No. 78 car for BJ McCleod Motorsports. (Yep, the same BJ McCleod that David spotted for in 2011.) No missing Anthony in this pic…but to leave no doubt in your mind, Anthony is the third person from the left, between Debra and me. |
We lingered outside Anthony’s hauler for a quarter of an hour – time enough to talk with Anthony, his fiancé, and his parents. They’re a lovely family – folks I think we would be friends with if we lived in the same city.
As an aside, David and Anthony – nicknamed ‘Fast Pasta’ for obvious reasons! – are avid video game players who specialize in simulated racing. They compete regularly against one another in the sim racing series.
Anthony drove a strong race – he started 25th and finished 14th.
As an aside, David and Anthony – nicknamed ‘Fast Pasta’ for obvious reasons! – are avid video game players who specialize in simulated racing. They compete regularly against one another in the sim racing series.
Anthony drove a strong race – he started 25th and finished 14th.
Let’s Go Racing!
We were trackside at two for a two-thirty start. The weather was perfect – the temperature was in the upper 70s and, thankfully for the drivers and fans alike, it was overcast.
Most sporting events in the United States open with the National Anthem. Not NASCAR. It opens its races with a public prayer.
“Lord, I pray and bless the drivers…,” I heard as the Father intoned a short prayer over the loudspeaker.
When he finished, I listened with my hand over my heart as a singer performed the National Anthem a cappella.
Most sporting events in the United States open with the National Anthem. Not NASCAR. It opens its races with a public prayer.
“Lord, I pray and bless the drivers…,” I heard as the Father intoned a short prayer over the loudspeaker.
When he finished, I listened with my hand over my heart as a singer performed the National Anthem a cappella.
The cars were lined up on pit road and ready to go, and the atmosphere was electric.
And then I heard the most famous phrase in stock car racing:
And then I heard the most famous phrase in stock car racing:
DRIVERS! START…YOUR…ENGINES!!
And they did, and they revved their engines more. It Was LOUD!
The pace car rolled from pit lane to the racetrack, and 38 race cars followed.
Once, twice, maybe three times around the track they went – warm-up laps as the drivers prepared for the green flag start.
The pace car rolled from pit lane to the racetrack, and 38 race cars followed.
Once, twice, maybe three times around the track they went – warm-up laps as the drivers prepared for the green flag start.
The flagman stood in the ‘crow’s nest’ above the start-finish line, green flag in hand. The pace car veered off the track, and as the race cars approached, the flagman waved the green flag, and the race was underway.
And the sound from the track – each powerful engine produced 850 horsepower – was LOUDER still!!
Fortunately, we wore headsets to protect our hearing and listen to the conversation between Leland and his spotter. The chatter was mostly one way – the seasoned spotter coaching his rookie driver around the racetrack.
The race was…well, it was a typical race: There were three stages, each stage with plenty of drama as the drivers battled for every inch of the racetrack. There were several accidents – none too serious – that brought out the yellow flag (‘caution’ in racing parlance) and forced the unlucky cars to their pit stalls for necessary repairs. And the cars went around and around the racetrack for 200 laps.
Trust me on this – the race was thrilling, and the excitement of the race brought us to our feet.
You already know the outcome – Sam Smith won and our driver, Leland Honeyman, came in 27th.
And that’s racin’!
Here are a few of the many photos I snapped – some of the things I saw in and around the pit stall during the race.
And the sound from the track – each powerful engine produced 850 horsepower – was LOUDER still!!
Fortunately, we wore headsets to protect our hearing and listen to the conversation between Leland and his spotter. The chatter was mostly one way – the seasoned spotter coaching his rookie driver around the racetrack.
The race was…well, it was a typical race: There were three stages, each stage with plenty of drama as the drivers battled for every inch of the racetrack. There were several accidents – none too serious – that brought out the yellow flag (‘caution’ in racing parlance) and forced the unlucky cars to their pit stalls for necessary repairs. And the cars went around and around the racetrack for 200 laps.
Trust me on this – the race was thrilling, and the excitement of the race brought us to our feet.
You already know the outcome – Sam Smith won and our driver, Leland Honeyman, came in 27th.
And that’s racin’!
Here are a few of the many photos I snapped – some of the things I saw in and around the pit stall during the race.
Post-Race
We hung around when the race ended – in the infield by the haulers – to watch the cars come in and go through a series of inspections and adjustments before they were loaded onto their respective haulers. It was quite the process.
Later that evening, the drivers and team members for Alpha Prime Racing headed home to Charlotte on a chartered flight, while the two haulers hit the road for a cross-country drive.
David arrived in Phoenix on a commercial flight earlier in the week so that we could spend a few days together before the race. (We had a great time!) He’ll fly home in the morning, but for now, the six of us – Oron, Jill, Ryan, David, Debra, and me – went to Spinato’s Pizzeria for a well-deserved meal.
Jill said, “I’ll order if that’s ok with everyone,” as Spinato’s was her favorite pizzeria. We looked at one another and someone said, “Go for it.”
And with that, Jill ordered two family-sized salads, two large pizzas, and a huge calzone. It seemed like a lot of food, but…
...it was delicious, and we stuffed ourselves (all gone!) as we shared stories – and a few laughs – about our most memorable day at the racetrack!
David arrived in Phoenix on a commercial flight earlier in the week so that we could spend a few days together before the race. (We had a great time!) He’ll fly home in the morning, but for now, the six of us – Oron, Jill, Ryan, David, Debra, and me – went to Spinato’s Pizzeria for a well-deserved meal.
Jill said, “I’ll order if that’s ok with everyone,” as Spinato’s was her favorite pizzeria. We looked at one another and someone said, “Go for it.”
And with that, Jill ordered two family-sized salads, two large pizzas, and a huge calzone. It seemed like a lot of food, but…
...it was delicious, and we stuffed ourselves (all gone!) as we shared stories – and a few laughs – about our most memorable day at the racetrack!